COURT WATCH - January 8 and 9 Houston and Henry County

Rickey Stokes

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Posted by: RStokes
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Date: Jan 09 2019 9:24 AM

COURT WATCH:      Court watch for the local court systems.

HOUSTON COUNTY - January 8, 2019:

Honorable Benjamin Lewis  has a 9:00 AM docket of 107 cases/ Those cases were status call cases. Seeing where the people were at in having an attorney and moving forward with their cases. These were criminal cases.

Honorable Butch Binford had court docket at 1:30 PM on domestic relations issues. The juvenile cases he handles dockets are not available to the public. These cases are confidential in nature and can not be held in open courtrooms. Only the parties involved can be in the courtroom because they are juvenile cases.

Honorable Kevin Moulton  had 125 cases scheduled at 1:30 PM. These were arraignment cases where persons had been indicted by a Houston County Grand Jury. At these hearings the indictment is read to the defendant unless they waive the reading. Also if the person has no attorney and can not hire one, and they qualify, then the court will appoint an attorney for them. Judge Moulton had 5 cases scheduled for plea and Community Corrections docket. Judge Moulton also had sentencing hearings.

Honorable Michael Conaway had 104 cases scheduled at 1:30 PM. These were arraignments on people indicted on criminal offenses. Judge Conaway at one case, a review case on a Possession of Controlled Substance at 8:30 AM.

Honorable Lori Ingram had 17 cases scheduled at 1:30 PM on child support matters. And 5 cases scehduled at 1:30 PM on domestic relations issues.

Honorable Larry Anderson had one 8:30 AM case on an Assault second degree case. It was a Motion to Dismiss filed with the court. Judge Anderson had a 2:30 PM and 3:00 PM with cases involving domestic relations.

Honorable Todd Derrick  had court scheduled at 1:30 PM with 155 cases. These were arraignment cases where these people were indicted by a Houston County Grand Jury. At 8:30 AM Judge Derrick had 21 cases scheduled being a plea, Community Corrections Revocations, Plea and Arraignment, and show cause, people who owe money to the court.

In Henry County District Court on January 8, 2019:

Honorable Derek Peterson had a 1:30 PM docket of 47 cases. These cases were preliminary hearings. When people are charged with a felony offense they can request a Preliminary Hearing. These are probable cause hearings where they Judge does not determine innocent or guilt, but was a crime probably committed and did this person probably committ the crime. The rules of evidence are not strict. Just becuase a Judge finds probable cause does not mean the person is actually guilty. Even if the Judge was to throw the case out the District Attorney can present the case to a Grand Jury and get them indicted.

Judge Peterson has 138 cases scheduled at 9:00 AM. Those cases are plea docket on traffic offenses. The person can enter a guilty plea or a not guilty plea. If not guilty plea they are scheduled for court at a later date. Judge Peterson had one criminal arraignment on a Possession/Receiving of a Controlled Substance.

HOUSTON COUNTY - January 9, 2019:

Honorable Benjamin Lewis will hold initial appearance at 8:30 AM. These hearings are held on persons in jail via closed circuit TV. The judge advised the persons what they are charged with, can they afford an attorney. If not one is appointed for them.

Judge Lewis also has a District Criminal docket of 23 cases. This is a show cause ( owe money ) and review docket. Following of which Judge Lewis has 20 traffic related cases beginning at 10:30 AM.

Honorable Butch Binford will hold arraignments at 1:30 PM today. Judge Binford has 174 cases scheduled before him at 1:30 PM. These are cases where persons have been indicted by a Houston County Grand Jury and come before the Judge to have the indictment read to them or they can waive the reading of the indictment. If the person has no attorney and can not afford one then Judge Binford will see if they qualify for a court appointed attorney.

Judge Binford has an additional 1:30 PM docket of 13 cases. Those cases include a bond forfeiture, conditional pleas, Community Corrections revocations.

In addition to the regular dockets, Judge Binford holds Juvenile Delinquency cases and cases referred to as CHINS ( Children In Need of Supervision ) which are normally truancy and children who have run away. These cases are handled by Judge Binford in addition to his full load of cases of Circuit Civil, Circuit Criminal, and Circuit Domestic Relations.

Honorable Kevin Moultion has a 8;30 AM sentencing hearing on James Willis Bonds on a Capital Murder case. At 3:00 PM Judge Moulton holds a hearing on a small claims case.

Honorable Michael Conaway   in his final week of a Circuit Court Judge has 33 cases scheduled at 1:30 PM. Those cases are youthful offender trials Community Corrections Revocations, plea dockets, failure to comply with court referral officer. Judge Conaway has one District Criminal case scheduled being a probation revocation in a District Criminal case.

Honrable Lori Collier Ingram has court scheduled at 9:00 AM with two cases. Both care account collections cases. Then Judge Ingram will move into 16 small claims cases scheduled at 1:30 PM.

Honorable Larry Anderson has court scheduled at 1:30 PM with 115 cases. These cases include review hearings, show cause ( owe money ), Pretty much his entire docket is trying to collect money from people. At 9:00 AM Judge Anderson is scheduled to take a plea of gilt on a Possession/Receiving Controlled Substance case. At 3:00 PM Judge Anderson has a Contempt/Rule NISI case in a domestic relations issue.

Honorable Todd Derrick  has a 1:30 PM docket. The cases before Judge Derrick are contested divorces and Petitions To Modify on divorces.

The Circuit Court Judges and District Court Judges are often times called to other counties and circuits to sit in for Judge who have a conflict in cases. Also when Judge Lewis has to be out the Circuit Court Judges hold the Initial Appearances. These are normally done every week day at 8:30 AM. When a holiday falls on a Monday then the Judge has to come to the Houston County Jail normally on a Sunday to hold the initial appearance.

Henry County Court cases

Honorable Derek Peterson has 12 cases scheduled at 9:00 AM. These cases are Child Support, Paternity to determine if the person is in fact the father of the child which require DNA testing of the father and child.

Judge Peterson also has a Intra Act Under UIFSA case. Never heard of it until I saw it on the docket. The best I can tell is enforcing child support obligations across state lines.

In two days in Houston and Henry County, 20th Judicial Circuit Court, to include District and Circuit Courts, over 1,100 cases scheduled before Judges. Cases scheduled in the courtroom before the Judge.

The majority of these 1,100 cases are criminal cases before the courts.

 

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